The Honduran immigrant community is following the results of the presidential elections in Honduras with attention and anxiety, hoping that whoever the new president is will support them and take their needs into account.

“We are very anxious and expectant. I would venture to say that most of us feel a little relieved that the candidates who remain in the race are not from the current administration,” said the former Honduran consul in Atlanta and Los Angeles, Maria Fernanda Rivera.

“There is also a sense of calm because there were no riots in Honduras. Many businesses feared that violence would break out and put up fences for protection. Thank God, that didn't happen.”

On Sunday, November 30, Hondurans living abroad had the opportunity to vote in the elections to elect the president of Honduras.

The candidates for president were the conservative candidate of the National Party, Nasri “Tito” Asfura, the centrist candidate of the Liberal Party, Salvador Nasralla, and the former Minister of Defense, Rixi Moncada, considered the official candidate.

The National Electoral Council (CNE) has not yet declared a winner.

The only certainty is that the candidate identified as the backer of outgoing President Xiomara Castro came in third place. Meanwhile, Asfura, who received President Donald Trump's endorsement in the final stretch, and Nasralla, a popular television presenter, are in a tight race in the final stretch of the presidential election. According to former Consul Rivera, either candidate will have a better relationship with the United States than the one enjoyed over the last four years. "At this point, it's best not to speculate. I say this because there are malicious people, and that hinders the process." Regarding the expectations of Hondurans abroad, she said that both candidates are aware of the diaspora's challenges. "They have toured the United States and spoken with many community leaders. They have the information and know what the needs are." He maintained that, given this precedent, the finalist candidates are aware that the problems of Hondurans abroad are a priority.“We make an enormous contribution to the economy and are a political force, and in such a close election, we have the power to shift the numbers.” I have summarized by saying that they hoped that, regardless of who wins, they will come with new proposals and pay close attention to the consulates. In 2024, Hondurans contributed approximately $9.7 billion in remittances, 25% of the Gross Domestic Product. Martin Pineda, a first-generation Honduran-American from Los Angeles, said he was unable to vote but sympathizes with the Liberal Party candidate. "We are in a complicated situation. We still don't have final results. In the last count, the conservative candidate was winning by “A difference of 9,000 votes,” he said. He commented that he disagrees with Asfura because he believes it would represent a setback for Honduras, and because there has been a lot of controversy surrounding him, as he and those around him have been accused of corruption. “He has always been an ally of the United States, and he will do whatever this country dictates.” But on the other hand, he said he is very proud that the Honduran people are no longer tolerant and will no longer vote for those whose government they dislike. “I support the centrist Nasralla because he is not a traditional candidate and has already tried to become president in four elections.” Martin lamented that the outgoing government appointed unqualified people to positions and allowed nepotism. “I hope that whoever wins now will put qualified people in positions and improve the country.” The center The polling station for Hondurans in Los Angeles operated at a church in North Hollywood. It opened at 6:00 am, and the last person to vote did so at 8:55 pm “In total, 7,130 Hondurans voted in the United States; and in Los Angeles, an estimated 700," said former consul Rivera, who was a volunteer election official. Hondurans living abroad have been able to vote for US president for about 20 years. They only need their national identity document (DNI), and upon receiving it, they are assigned their polling place. "If they change their address, they have to update it to be able to vote. There are people who didn't, and that prevented them from participating," said the former diplomat, who lives in Los Angeles. Overall, The former consul said there was a large turnout of Hondurans in the United States in their country's presidential elections. "We had some people who didn't want to wait and left without voting," she said. Cecilia Rodriguez, leader of the Honduran Alliance of Los Angeles, revealed that because she is elderly, she was given priority to vote. "I have always been a liberal, but whoever wins, we can't do anything. We have no voice or vote. The governments negotiate behind our backs and do whatever they want.” She stated that since they have had Temporary Protected Status (TPS), Honduran presidents have never bothered to meet with the organizations, starting with the consulate.

“They don't seek us out, nor do they want to work with us. Even though I voted for Salvador Nasralla, politicians generally make promises, but when push comes to shove, whether they deliver is another story.”

She said that this applies to Trump, who promised to rid the streets of crime, and all he has done is arrest immigrant workers.

“I once asked Trump's candidate, when he came to Los Angeles, what he would do for us, the beneficiaries of TPS (Temporary Protected Status). He told me, 'Cecilia, I promise you nothing.' With that answer, we have no hope. Politicians come to the presidency with the mission of seeing what they can record.”

As of the last vote count on Thursday, December 4, the National Electoral Council of Honduras showed a minimal difference between the two leading candidates.

Asfura had 1,087,252 votes (40.07% of the total) (counted) versus 1,077,397 for Nasralla (39.71%). expected to take a few more days to proclaim the new president of Honduras.